Shark Species Profiles

Background:Sharks have existed for about 400 million years, before dinosaurs roamed the earth! They belongto a class of fish called Chondrichthyes. Chrondrichthyes means "cartilaginous fishes". Theskeletons of sharks and other Chondrichthyans are made of cartilage unlike human skeletons thatare made of bone. Although all sharks have some similarities such as having gills and fins, theycome in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities. They also live in many differenthabitats and in different parts of the world.

Materials:There are 8 shark species profiles included in this activity with information on size, color, diet,and habitat of each shark. Focus is on sharks that live in waters off the Florida coast althoughsharks from other parts of the world are also included:1. Bull shark2. White shark3. Tiger shark4. Great hammerhead shark5. Shortfin mako shark6. Thresher shark7. Whale shark8. Leopard shark

In addition, there are also species profiles on closely related rays, skates, and sawfish that mayalso be included in classroom learning activities:1. Atlantic stingray2. Clearnose skate3. Smalltooth sawfish

Information on size, color, diet, habitat, and geographical location is included in each speciesprofile as well as a photo and a distribution map.

Classroom Activities:

• Graph the maximum length of each species to determine which species is the largest andwhich is the smallest and how they compare to the size of humans

• Make a shark mobile with cut outs using the provided patterns and instructions, using sharkspecies profiles for guidelines on the coloration of each shark.

• Color in coloring pages of sharks using the description of each shark species as a guide

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-1 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Bull SharkCarcharhinus leucas

Length: Maximum length of 11.5 feet (3.5 meters)

Color: Pale to dark gray above fading to a pale or white underside

Diet: Fish and small sharks

Habitat: Marine and freshwater shallow habitats

GeographicalLocation: Live throughout the world

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-2 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

White SharkCarcharodon carcharias

Length: Maximum length of 22.3 feet (6.8 meters)

Color: Blue-gray to gray-brown on top with a white underside, sometimesthere are small spots long the sides of the shark and a black blotchnear the pectoral fin

Diet: Marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and dolphins as well as fishand sometimes sea turtles

Habitat: Marine, waters ranging from shallow water to depths of 775 feet (250meters)

Geographical Location:Temperate waters throughout the world

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-3 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Tiger SharkGaleocerdo cuvier

Length: Maximum length of 14 feet (4.25 meters)

Color: Bluish-gray to dark gray or black on top with a yellowish-whiteunderside, dark spots are visible on young sharks but fade as the sharkmatures

Diet: Sea turtles, rays, sharks, bony fishes, sea birds, dolphins, squid, andcrustaceans

Habitat: Marine, murky waters off the coast from the surface to depths of1,085 feet (350 meters)

Geographical Location:Temperate and tropical waters throughout the world, with theexception of the Mediterranean Sea

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-4 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Great Hammerhead SharkSphyrna mokarran

Length: Maximum length of 20 feet (6.1 meters)

Color: Dark brown to light grey or even olive color on top, fading to whiteon the underside

Diet: Invertebrates, bony fish, and rays as well as other sharks

Habitat: Marine, shallow coastal waters to offshore water depths of 985 feet(300 meters)

Geographical Location:Warm temperate and tropical marine waters throughout the world

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-5 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Shortfin MakoIsurus oxyrinchus

Length: Maximum length of 13 feet (4 meters)

Color: Brilliant metallic blue on top and white underside

Diet: Fast moving swordfish, tuna, and other sharks as well as squid(the mako is the fastest shark – it can swim 20 mph!)

Habitat: Marine, open ocean waters to depths of 2,425 feet (740 meters)

Geographical Location: Tropical and temperate waters throughout the world's oceans

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-6 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Thresher SharkAlopias vulpinus

Length: Maximum length of 24.9 feet (7.6 meters) including the long tail fin

Color: Dark brown and slate gray to black on top with black spots near thetail, it is white underneath

Diet: Small bony fish such as herring, bluefish, and mackerel, they use theirlong tail fin to stun their prey so it is easier to catch

Habitat: Marine, coastal waters to open ocean waters at depths to 1,800 feet(550 meters)

Geographical Location:Cold temperate and tropical waters throughout the world's oceans

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-7 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Whale SharkRhincodon typus

Length: Maximum length of 60 feet (18 meters) – largest living fish!

Color: Greyish, bluish or brownish above with an upper surface pattern ofcreamy white spots between pale, vertical and horizontal stripes, theunderside is white

Diet: Plankton (microscopic plants and animals) and small schooling fish

Habitat: Marine, open oceans

Geographical Location:Warm temperate and tropical waters throughout the world's oceans

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-8 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Leopard SharkTriakis semifasciata

Length: Maximum length of 7 feet (2.1 meters)

Color: Silver to bronzy gray with dark saddles and spots, lighter underside

Diet: Small fish, crabs, shrimp, worms, and fish eggs

Habitat: Marine, sandy and muddy bays in shallow water less than 20 feet (6meters) in depth

Geographical Location:Eastern Pacific Ocean from Oregon to the Gulf of California

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-9 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Atlantic StingrayDasyatis sabina

Length: Disk width of 12-15 inches (stingrays are measured this way)

Color: Brown or yellowish brown on the top, becoming lighter close to theedge. The underside is white or light gray

Diet: Clams, worms, tube anemones, and bivalves

Habitat: Marine and brackish water in warm coastal areas, it also lives in somefreshwater lakes in Florida

Geographical Location:Western Atlantic Ocean from Chesapeake Bay south to Florida andinto the Gulf of Mexico

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-10 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Clearnose SkateRaja eglanteria

Length: Maximum disk width of 19 inches (48 cm)

Color: Dark to light brown or gray on the dorsal surface with dark spots andbars sometimes present, the ventral surface is white

Diet: Shrimp, crabs, and small fish

Habitat: Marine inshore waters

Geographical Location:Atlantic Ocean – from Massachusetts south through Florida and intothe Gulf of Mexico

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-11 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

Smalltooth SawfishPristis pectinata

Length: Maximum length of 24.7 feet (7.6 m)

Color: Brownish to bluish gray body with a white underside

Diet: Marine invertebrates that live in the sand, small fishes

Habitat: Marine coastal areas such as estuaries, bays, lagoons and even intofreshwater rivers occasionally

Geographical Location:Live throughout the world in the tropics, in the western AtlanticOcean. they are found from New York south to Brazil including theGulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish 4-12 © 2006 Florida Museum of Natural History

SHARK LENGTH GRAPH

Bull Shark 11.5 feetWhite Shark 22.3 feetTiger Shark 14 feetGreat HammerheadShark

20 feet

Shortfin Mako Shark 13 feetThresher Shark 24.9 feetWhale Shark 65.5 feetLeopard Shark 7 feetSmalltooth Sawfish 24.7 feetHuman Adult 6 feetHuman Child 4 feet

LENGTH (feet) 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

Instructions: Each box represents five feet in length. Color in the boxes from left to right until you reach the appropriate boxrepresenting the length of the shark on that line. Use your graph to answer the questions below:

1. Which shark is the shortest?

2. Which shark is the longest?

3. Does the size of a shark indicate how dangerous it is?

Shark Species Profiles : Graphing and Question/Answer Activity Sheet